|PIC1|The Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols and Archbishop of Edinburgh and St Andrews Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien have called on the Government to protect the poor and vulnerable across the world amidst the ongoing economic crisis.

In a joint letter to the G8’s political leaders, the presidents of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences from those countries called for concerted action to assist developing countries at the upcoming G8 summit, which will take place from 8 to 10 July near L’Aquila, in Italy.

In a response from Number 10, Prime Minister Gordon Brown thanked the Catholic Church for its work and leadership on these issues. He said it was a moral imperative that world leaders maintain and fulfil their commitments to the world's poorest, particularly during the global downturn as the credibility of the G8 rested on demonstrating that commitments were being fulfilled.

Mr Brown wrote: “Eradicating poverty in developing countries and tackling climate change are inextricably linked.

“The UK will continue to make every effort to ensure protection of the world's poorest remains central to this year's G8 Summit, which should provide a stepping stone to the G20 meeting later this year.”

The letter from the Church leaders refers to Pope Benedict XVI’s call before the G20 meeting not to let development aid become a victim of the financial crisis.

It focuses on the victims of the economic crisis and also those who will be most at risk from the harmful consequences of global warming. It calls for greater dialogue and co-operation to help prevent further economic crises and also an increase to development assistance to reduce global poverty and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The Archbishops went on to write: “The G8 summit takes place in the shadow of a global economic crisis, but its actions can help bring a light of hope to our world. By asking first how a given policy will affect the poor and the vulnerable, you can help assure that the common good of all is served. As a human family we are only as healthy as our weakest members.

“Protecting the poor and the planet are not competing causes; they are moral priorities for all people living in this world.”